As winter moves toward spring, many homeowners are no doubt entertaining the idea of listing their home for sale. While much of the United States is currently enjoying a strong real estate market in every season of the year, the arrival of spring has traditionally been the time when most homes hit the market and most buyers are shopping in large numbers.
Homeowners who are planning to sell their home in the coming spring may not have called a listing agent to discuss their situation and that can be a major mistake. If you are planning to sell your home this spring and have not yet contacted an agent, here are some important benefits you may be missing out on before the listing contract is even signed.
Your agent is a kind, but blunt motivating force
Homeowners see their homes everyday. Because of this, it is easy to become desensitized to that non-working light switch, that stain on the ceiling, or all those scratches the dog made on the door frame. This desensitization can mean that repair issues are overlooked, even when they have the potential to turn off buyer interest.
When your real estate agent makes a pre-listing visit to your home, however, they are seeing it for the first time and are not at all desensitized to repair issues. Successful real estate agents understand how buyers will view these problems and will use this information to kindly, but bluntly help sellers understand what needs to be fixed or renovated before the official listing date.
Your agent understands pricing and market trends
Working closely with a successful real estate agent in the weeks prior to the listing date will also provide the time necessary for your listing agent to do a comparative market analysis (CMA) of your home for the purpose of pinpointing the best listing price. Experienced listing agents can use both historical market information along with current and projected trends to price your home correctly and help sell your home as quickly and profitably as possible.
Your listing agent is part of a strong network
Another major benefit of working closely with your listing agent before the home is listed for sale is their networking abilities and potential. By discussing the upcoming listing of your home with other agents in the area, listing agents begin creating a buzz of interest that will pay off in enhanced activity once the home actually hits the market.
Homeowners who plan to sell in the future can get all these benefits and more by contacting a reputable, successful real estate agent, such as Columbus Historic Homes, well before their projected listing date arrives.
